Walk'in in a Winter Wonderland....

Blowing snow, reduced visibility, bitter cold winds, slippery unploughed roads all greeted me as I drove home from work yesterday. What a welcomed beginning to our Christmas holidays! You would think as dwellers in Canada, we would be used to this winter weather. In my "neck of the woods," storms like we experienced yesterday are usually few and far between. However, the last couple of winters, the weather pattern has changed.

I safely made it home (with a few nail-biting moments) in 30 minutes, which is great timing for my typically 15 -minute commute in normal conditions. I did have to venture out in the storm later that day to fulfill my stint on the "Kettles." The storm worsened but thankfully I did not have far to travel home. After all was said and done, we accumulated 30 cm of the fluffy white stuff. ( I believe that is approximately 10 inches for those still used to the Empirical system!)

Strangely enough, I find comfort during snowstorms - as long as I am snuggled safely at home and not driving! I love bundling up in my many warm layers and venturing outside for a long walk in the snow. It is quiet and peaceful - a welcome retreat from the chaotic noise of my world.

It looks like I'll be walk'in again in my winter wonderland tomorrow - another storm is on its way apparently bringing an additional 10 - 15 cm!

Here are some photos I took last night and this morning...

Light in the midst of the storm...

(Looking west out our apartment window. On a clear day you can see the CN Tower in Toronto.)

( I love the snow that settled on the windowsill and the fact you can see the reflection of the living room! )

(I never knew I was in the pic until I posted it!)

(Looking south towards Lake Ontario.)

Peace after the storm...

I find peace and stillness in the settled snow on pine trees!

( These pics were taken with my zoom out the same apartment window that captured last night's storm!)

( I wanted to capture the lightness of the settled snow on the windowsill...I like how the pic turned blurry!)

( I took this photo this morning at my friend's house. This pine tree sits firmly sheltering their front yard. I love the smell of pine trees!)


Before I close, I just had to share this cute email I received today from my 71 -year old mom. I should explain the context of the discussion... She had emailed my 13-year old nephew to ask what he wanted for Christmas. He sent a reply directly from the American Eagle website showing my mom exactly the item he wanted. He forgot to include the size of the jacket he needed. So, here is where we pick up the conversation...

Mom ( Grannie) to James: "So it is medium you need?"

James to Grannie: " ya it is medium i need plz and thx xoxoxoxo love james"

Mom to me: "What does James mean?"

Me to mom: "Yes it is medium I need please and thanks xoxoxoxo , love James."

Mom to me: "What?"

Me to Mom: " plz and thx are the shortened versions of please and thanks. This is how 13-year olds write now-a-days. It comes from their cell phone texting language."

Mom to me: ( in a still somewhat confused tone) " Okay, thanks for the clarification!"

Grannie to James: "Okay love, got it! Love you, Grannie and Papa x0x0x0x0xo"

Gotta love the generation gap! Although I must say my parents are pretty good at keeping up with the times, "walk'in in the shoes of the younger generation!"